Kyle Dugger has started his last 50 games played in the NFL. Overall, he’s started in 65 of his 74 career games played.
Yet this preseason, the 29-year-old safety has played extensively in the preseason. And a week after playing until the final snap against Minnesota, Dugger was once again playing deep into the second half on Thursday night against the Giants in the Patriots’ preseason finale.
On the surface, it would seem as though Dugger does not have a spot on Mike Vrabel’s final 53-man roster.
That may end up being the case, but after Thursday’s blowout loss in New Jersey, Vrabel did provide some detail as to why Dugger has played so much this preseason.
“Yeah I think that he’s continued to take advantage of the opportunities and the reps, and I think he’s feeling more comfortable. We talked about a long rehab process in the offseason that he committed to, but it wasn’t a quick rehab process,” Vrabel said of Dugger’s ankle surgery. “I think that he’s gotten better. I think he’s improved. I think he’s feeling better. It looks like he’s feeling better on tape. And so that’s good to see. Those are all positive things.”
Dugger finished this game with an interception — his second in as many weeks, both of which came in the end zone — one more pass defense, and a team-high six tackles. While a veteran safety should be able to put together a stat line like that against bottom-of-the-roster competition, Vrabel saw that output as a positive step in Dugger’s recovery process.
“I thought he flashed,” Vrabel said. “I thought he triggered, I thought he tackled, I thought his length showed up. … Just playing in our base scheme, and those things I thought showed up tonight.”
Certainly, Dugger playing well in that extended preseason game action was better than the alternative. But with rookie Craig Woodson cementing a role on the defense alongside starter Jabrill Peppers, it’s still a real possibility that Dugger ends up traded or cut in the coming week.
For his part, Dugger didn’t express an issue with the preseason playing time when speaking to reporters after Thursday’s loss.
“A lot of room for improvement. So that’s what I’m focused on,” Dugger said.
Dugger was asked if he feels good about what he put on tape this summer.
“Nah. I have a lot more to improve on, so I’m gonna keep working every day,” he answered.
Dugger said he didn’t have much of a back-and-forth with the coaching staff about why he’s been on the field so much this preseason, but added he won’t feel anxiety in the coming days with the looming roster decision. As for what he wants to continue working on, Dugger said he wants to get back to “playing fast.”
“Oh, for sure,” Dugger said when asked if there’s anything in particular he needs to improve. “Learning a new playbook and getting used to these calls, being able to play fast and know what to expect. Things like that take a little bit of time, and they take reps, and so continue to work and watch the film and learn and grow.”
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What does seem clear at this point in the summer is that Dugger’s place on the roster is not firm. And his particular skill set does not seem to be a perfect fit for the defense that Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams want to run.
Still, Dugger at full speed would still be one of the more talented players on a Patriots roster that is in year one of a multi-year rebuild. And while the top of the depth chart may be set with Peppers and Woodson, one of those players is a rookie. And there’s a case for Dugger providing more use to a defense than Jaylinn Hawkins and certainly Marcus Epps and Dell Pettus.
With Dugger’s large cap hit (over $15 million this year and rising over the next two years), the Patriots are quite unlikely to find a trade partner that’s willing to take on his salary. Which leaves the Patriots with this question: Are they a better team with Dugger as a backup, or by paying Dugger a lot of money to not play in New England?
When phrased that way, it looks as though Dugger should manage to stick around and perhaps work his way back onto the field on Sundays. Vrabel commenting on Dugger’s progress at the very least indicated that there’s a fair chance of that path becoming a reality.
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